Ignition system and switch therefor



W. HEMINGWAY, JR

GNITION SYSTEM AND SWITCH THEREFOR Feb. 28, 1928.

Filed April 28, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l ,Ewwulnl Patented F eb. 28, 1928.

`UNITED STATES PATENT oFElcE.

WILSON HEMINGWAY, JR., 0F MELROSE PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOIBTO THE ELECTROLOCK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI, A COR- PORATION or' MISSISSIPPI.

i IGNITION SYSTEM AND SWITCH '.rnnnnron.

Application filed April v28, 1924. Serial No. 709,695.

The principal purpose of this invention is to providemore efficient and dependable theft protection for automobiles by making it practically La physical impossibility for thev owner or operator to switch off the ignition system in stopping the motor without first actuating an automatic lock mechanism of the system such as the coils, spark plugs,

etc. When, as in the present instance, the invention is applied to ignition systems of the Ford automobile type, there is provided, in addition to the main switch, an auxiliary or selective switch which is operableto positions 'including either the battery or the magneto lin the system as the effective source of current Supply but which has no intermediate or off position. This yselective switch merely serves, therefore, as a means for substituting the'battery and the magneto for one another as the effective source of current supply for the ignition system, and includes no rovision lfor breaking or dis rupting the ignition system in view of the fact that the switch has no open or intermediate position.

Other purposes, advantages and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description and accompanying drawin s; wherein, A

ig. 1 isa diagrammatic view of an ignition, system including my improved switch mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional -view of the switch mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the structure disclosed in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical the line 4-4 of Fig. .2.

Referring more particularly tothe switch Section on structure illustrated in Figs. 2 to 4, inclusive, reference character 5 designates a casing which is preferably composed of hardened steel or other. metal difficult to cut ordrillt through in an effort to obtainaccess to the interior of thev casing. This casing is closed at one end by an inserted metal knob 6 which is securely anchored to one extremity of a cable 7 Vwhich affords a housing for the conductor 8. The knob 6 is in abutting engagement with one Side of a ring 9 fastened to the inner wall of the casing by suitable pins 10. Fitting the opening in the ring4 9 and threaded on toa neck 11v formed integral with the knob 6, is a clamping nut 12equipped with a flange 13 bearing against the inner side of the ring. It is thusevident that the threaded engagement of the nut 12 with the neck 11 serves to clamp the flange 13 and knob 6 against the opposite sides of ring 9 whereby said knob and cable 7 are securely fastened to the casing. A Screw 14 threaded through the nut 12 and terminating in a smooth tip or stem 15 entering a Suitable socket 16 formed in a knob 6 serves to lock the knob and nut against relative rotation necessary to separation thereof.

The end of the vconductor 8, shown lin Fig. 2, extends through the neck 11 and terminates in an enlarged flat head 17 restingagainst the inner end of the neck and contacting with a copper disc 18. The disc 18 is contained Within an insulating ring 19 which Serves as a spacer between the nut 12 and an insulating block 20 carrying a pair of contacts 21 and 22. The contact 21 is made suiiiciently long to extend entirely through the block 20 and to project beyond one face' of the block into contact with the'disc 18. At the opposite face of thev block 20, the

contact 21 is secured by a screw 23 to one end of a Contact strip 24. The opposite end of the, Contact strip 24 is securedto a second insulating block 25 spaced from lthe insulating block 2O by an interposed tubular insulating shell 26. Secured tothe insulating block 25at a point opposite the attached end of the contact strip 24 is a second contact strip 27 having one end-grounded to the metal casing 5. The remaining contact 22 of the insulating block 20 is threadedly secured to the inner end of a binding post 28. This post extends laterally through a portion of equipped at the block and through an insulating bush-v ing 29 in the wall 'of the casing 5, and is.

nuts 30. f

Between the. contacts 21 and 22, the insulating block 20 is hollowed out to provide a socket 31 in which is slidably received one endpf a tubular reciprocating stem 32 com-` posed of suitable insulating material and hollowed out to provide a bore 33 housing a coiled spring 34 having one extremityx bearing againstl the` inner closed walldof the bore and the other extremity bearing against the opposing or bottom -wall of the socket 31'so that the spring, when under compression as shown in Fig. 2, has a normal tendency to shift the stem" 32 to the left from the position shown. At an intermediate point the stem 32 ,is lwidened to provide surfaces 35 and 36 sloping downwardly-in f opposite directions from the widened central I 21, 24, 37 and 27 to the metallic wall of the casing 5 -for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. In order to shift the contact 37 to the right to bridge the stationary contacts 21 and 22 it is'necessary that the 'stein -36 be permitted to move to the left under the iniuence of the spring 34 until the central or widest portion of the stem has passed through the coil spring 38 at whichv time'the gripping or squeeaing action otthe spring, acting in conjunction .with the inclined surface 36 will serve to cause the movable con-l tact 37 to snap or 'travel to the right relatively tothe'stem so as'to engage the contacts 21 and 22. In this second position of the movable contact 37 vit will be understood that the conductor 8 is connected through disk 18, contacts 2 1, 37 and 22 to` the binding post 28. o

n the position .of parts shown in Fig. 2

the stem 32 is held against movement tothe left by engagement with .the inner end of a lock barrel 40. This barrel fits slidably- Within an annular metal shell41 secured in Y the casing 5 by means of a transverse pin 4 2 havingits outer end flush with the outer surface of the casing and its inner end flush with theinner surface of the shell 41. This pin is widened intermediate its length to provide ashoulder 43 bearing against the inner Wall of the casing 5 and serving to prevent the pin from being drawn outwardly its Outer end with binding` 38 surrounding and.

through the'openin v.formed in the casing. The'pin is preventeii from being driven in-l wardly/ through its opening by reason of the fact that the inner end ofthe pin engages the barrel 40. Sliding movement of the barrel 40 Within the shell 41 is limited by a stop pin 43 carried by the shell 41 and cas- ,ing 5 and having its inner end entering an elongated recess formed in the outer surface of the barrel. The barrel 40 contains a suitable loekingniechanism including a retractable spring pressed bolt '44 adaptedto automatically enter an opening 45 in the shell 4l when the` lock barrel is in inner position disclosed in Fig. 2. When, by means of the key 46, the bolt 44 is retracted from Ithe opening 45, the spring 34 will act to move both the stem'32vuand the lock barrel-to the left until the latter reaches the limit of movement permittedby the stop pin 43. Carriedrby the casing 5 is a second switch including a lcasingv 47 having contacts 48 'and 49 secured to one side-wall thereot and contacts v50 andil secured to the opposite side wall in'line with the first mentioned contacts. The contact 49 is connected by a suitable lead to one terminal of a battery 49 the remaining terminal of which is grounded. The opposite contact 51 is, in

like manner, connected to .the insulated post.,

of the magneto 5l', the remaining terminal of the magneto being grounded. 52designates an actuating stem having' cylindrical vend portions slidably mounted in suitable openings formed in opposite walls of thc casing 47, the intermediate portion of the stem being widened to provide oppositely sloping surfaces 53 and 54. The tmovable contact of this switch is of the same type .as that disclosed in connectionu-'ith the first switch and comprises a ring shaped casing 55 open at its inner periphery and housing` a' coiled spring 56 closely embracing the stem 52,y as shown. In the arrangement of parts disclosed in Figs. 3 and 4, the movable contact is in engagement with the left hand wallI of the ca sing 47 and serves to bridee the contacts 49 and 48. Movement of tie stem 52 to the lett from the position shown will cause` the inclined portion 530i the stem to travel through the spring 56 until the central portion of the stem has passed to the left of the spring at which time the.

loi!

gripping action of the spring on the oppositely inclinedV surface 54 will cause the movable contact to snap or travel tothe bodied a; system of distribution-as shown to advantage in Fig. 1.

In this figure, it` will be noted that the end of the cable 7 opi' posite that secured to casing is anchored within the neck 57 of a metal plate 58 which is secured to the underside of a'wooden strip 59 mounted within and on the bottom wall of the coil casing 60. The conductor 8 is carried through the strip' 59 and is suitably secured to a. contact plate 61 fastened to the upper surface of the wooden strip.. The plate 6l is provided with a plurality of con# tact tongues 62 struck therefrom and en'- gaging the contacts 63 of the induction coils contained wit-hin the casing 60. The contact 63 of each induction coil is connected to one extremity of the primary winding 64. The other terminal of this winding is connected through the vibrator 65, lead 66, contacts 67 and 68 and lead 69 to one of the stationary contacts 70`of the timer 71. O ne terminal of the secondary winding of each coil is connectedlby lead. 72,- contacts 73 and 74 and lead 75 to one' of the spark plugs 76. lVhen the movableV contacts of the selective Switch 47 and the main switch 5 are in the positions shown in Figs. 4 and 1, respectively, the battery 49 is included in the system as the effective source of supply for the induction coils. Current from the battery passes through the contacts 49, 55, and 48,

. to the binding post 28 of the main switch.

From the binding post 28 the current passes through the contacts 22, 37, and 21 and copper disk' 18 to the conductor 8 through -which it flows into the primary Winding of the coil.v vWhen it is desired to shift from the battery to the magneto this is accomplished by forcing the stem 52 to the left from the position shown inl Fig. 4 so as to cause the movable contact 55 to travel to the right to a position bridging the contacts 50 and 51. In this second position of the selective switch, current is supplied from the magneto 51 through contacts 51, 5,5 and 50 to the binding post 28 of the main switch through whichthe current is' delivered to the coils as previously set forth. 'When it is desired to disrupt the ignition' system the lock barrel 40 is pushed inwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown `in Fig. 2 thus causing the stem 32 to travel to the right until the inclined surface 36 of the stem has passedv through or y to the right of spring 38 at which time the pressure of the spring on the stem, acting in conjunction with the inclined4 surface 35 will cause the spring to travel or snap t-ov the left, thus breaking the connection'between the contacts 21 and 22 and interrupt. ing the supply of current to the coils. When the movable contact 37 of the switch is in the position shown in Fig. 2 it will be noted, as previously set forth, that the conductor 8 is grounded to the metal casing 5. The purpose of grounding the conductor 8f and the coils in this manner in the open position ofthe switch1'5 is to prevent any possibility of'current being supplied to the contact plate 61 for the purpose of energizing the coils. j

The switch 5 is constructed in such manner that when the lock barrel 40 ismoved inwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2 the bolt 44 will automatically enter the opening 45 at almoment .not later than that at which the spring 38 acts to cause movement-of the Contact 37 t-o break the 'connectionibetween the contacts 22 and 23 to thereby interrupt the ignition circuit. The locking action of the lock may be effected either simultaneously with or immediately before the movement of the contact 37 to interrupt the ignition circuit.- In this way the switch islocked against retrograde movement at a time such that there is no possibility of disrupting the circuit of the ignition system without setting in operation the lock mechanism to effect locking thereof. Re-establishment of 1etfected except by persons having the proper While in the foregoing I have described what I now consider to be the preferred embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that various changes in the construction, combina-tion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention:

1. An ignition system for automobiles including a. battery and magneto as alternate sources of current supply, the usual complement of ignition devices. a, selective switch operable only to positions connecting either the battery or the magneto in circuit with said devices but having no intermediate. position of rest, a master switch included in the system in such manner as to constitute the sole means for disconnecting both sources of current 'supply to render the ignition devices inoperative and a lock for the master switch arranged to function automatically at an intermediate point in the actuation of the master switch from closed to open position.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 .includinna transformer as one unit of the aforesaid ignition devices and contacts carried by the master switch and arranged to automatically ground the transformer when the switch is moved to and locked' in the open position. l i' 3. An ignition system for automobiles in- I cluding a battery and` a magneto as alternate sources of supply. a transformer in circuit with said sources f supply, a selective switch connected between the transformer and the aforesaid sources of current supply, said switch being selectively operable to positions connecting either source 13 s supply,

of supply 'in circuit with the transformer but having no intermediate position of rest, a master switch connected between the selective switch and the transformer and aording the. sole switchl means for opening the circuit in such manner as to disconnect both sources of supply and a lock for the master switch arranged to function automatically in the actuation of the said switch from the open to the closed position andat a time not later than the actual opening of the circuit.

4. Anignition system for automobiles, including alternate sources of electric current the usual complement of ignition devices, a selective switch operable only to positions connecting one or the other of said sources of current supply 1n circuit with said devices, the said-switch having no intermediate position of rest, means included in the system adaptedv to occupy a` position closing said circuit and to be moved from closed position intovposition to open said circuit to disconnect both `sources of current supply from the ignition devices to render WILSON HEMINGWAY, JR. 

